Faulkyr
Faulkyr, also known as lizard men, are a race of reptilian humanoids native to the southern deserts of Gaia. Description Faulkyr are reptilian humanoids. Their skin is covered in scales and varied in color from dark green through to shavees of brown and gray. Taller than humans and powerfully built, Faulkyr are often between 6 and 7 feet (1.8–2.1 m) tall and weighed between 200 and 250 pounds (90.7–113 kg). Faulkyr have non-prehensile muscular tails that grew to three or four feet in length, and these are used for balance. They also have sharp claws and teeth. Although non-reptilians struggled to tell the difference between males and females, Faulkyr can easily distinguish themselves. Abilities Faulkyr are strong and hardy beings, and their thick scaly hides protected against attack. They can hold their breaths far longer than humans can, up to twice as long as an equivalent human. This ability enables them to operate underwater in their marshy homes. The Faulkyr's tails aid them in keeping their balance and in leaping, and made them particularly gifted swimmers. Personality Faulkyr have no interest in money or jewels. They also do not much value accumulating knowledge if it is not practically useful. They largely value things based on whether or not it is good to eat. If it is, it quickly got their attention; if not, it is ignored. Faulkyr can often become distracted at the appearance of food, even if they are in combat. They are easier to parley with after a meal, and a hungry Faulkyr is completely obstreperous. Faulkyr can be highly dangerous when provoked. However, they are not inherently evil, there are simply savage and have a hard time fitting in with the developing world. Those that ventur into towns or cities are often alarmed, frightened, or offended by the environment. Few tried to adapt, let alone assimilate into other societies. Instead, they felt their part is to learn about "softskin" ways and in turn show them how "real people" lived. Lifecycle Faulkyr females lay clutches of eggs, from which their young hatched. The eggs are kept well protected in the tribe's lair. The life of a hatchling is especially hard. Faulkyr reached maturity within five years of hatching. As Faulkyr age, their bodies slow down. Most Faulkyr over the age of 60 spent their days laying on warm rocks in the sun. Although Faulkyr aged much the same and have a similar lifespan to humans—the oldest reached 80 years of age—it is rare for Faulkyr males to grow old as they usually died in combat long before. Diet Faulkyr are omnivorous, but strongly favor meat when they can get it. According to stories, to the Faulkyr, the most delicious meat is humanoid flesh, especially human. but this claim is more-or-less unfounded. However, some tribes did consume captives and enemies slain in battle, but more civilized tribes often resisted this craving. Meanwhile, ritual cannibalism of deceased tribe-members is customary. Faulkyr are quick to consume anything that is edible. For this reason, Faulkyr never kept pets. When hunters bring back prey, adult Faulkyr eat first, taking what they wish. The young are usually left with the scraps, and more often than not subside on edible plants foraged from around the tribe's lair. Combat Most Faulkyr have little interest in battle tactics or strategy, and they fought as a disorganized mass of individuals. Despite their impressive hunting skills, Faulkyr often rely on strength and weight of numbers in battle, and simply charged their foes head-on. At the most, they try to get their foes onto flat ground, where Faulkyr often enjoy an advantage. However, if Faulkyr are being attacked or pursued, or their camps are in danger or their territory invaded, their hunting skills come to the fore and they lay simple traps, snares, and pitfalls. They organize ambushes and raid enemy supplies. The more advanced tribes attempt cleverer strategies and traps. A great many Faulkyr lairs are defended by traps. Society Tribal Structure Faulkyr gather into tribes. A typical tribe might have 150 Faulkyr, with around 50 male, 50 female, and 50 hatchlings, Another might have only 30–60 adults, with half as many hatchlings and one tenth that number in unhatched eggs. Faulkyr society is patriarchal and leaders hold their positions for their strength and power alone. Although challenges for leadership are rarely made, anyone in the tribe can try and seize power from the leader. This will leave the tribe unorganized and vulnerable until a new leader takes charge or the old leader has reasserted their position. Faulkyr leaders are most often barbarians or even druids. In a tribe, they will be assisted by two lieutenants. Many skilled warriors are fighters and barbarians. Tribal shamans, meanwhile, are usually clerics who worshiped the spirits. Shamans rarely serve as leaders, and by-and-large only offer advice. Females in the tribes are responsible for hatching eggs, raising young, and maintaining the camp. All the females in the tribe will work together to raise the young. They monitor their hatchlings closely, as the young are difficult to handle and tend to wander off, away from camp and into the wilderness. Technology Faulkyr fashion primitive weaponry and tools from wood, stones, and plants they found in the drylands. Faulkyr prefer weapons they can fashion themselves from what is available, and so they tend to be simple and limited in variety. More advanced tribes made use of a wider range of weaponry and shields. Moreover, they will sometimes utilize weapons they find or steal; tribal leaders typically use items that have been stolen or bartered from other races. However, their claws and teeth are often sufficient. Camps vary in style from tribe to tribe. The simplest are just damp leaves used for bedding, but more developed Faulkyr tribes built crude dwellings. They do not keep animals as pets or mounts, but rarely a Faulkyr druid might employ their magic to charm a drake and ride it into battle to awesome effect. Activities The Faulkyr have no traditions of farming, cultivation, or animal raising, so food is acquired through fishing, hunting, scavenging, or stealing. Those that dwell near other humanoids raid their neighbors for food, supplies, and even slaves. The tribe's survival is its primary, or indeed, only concern. When they feel threatened, or when food shortages will lead to starvation, a tribe will do absolutely anything to guarantee its survival, even committing acts others will see as despicable. Most Faulkyr are content to live their lives out in the deserts or drylands where they are born but, on occasion, some will venture outside their dusty homes to hunt bigger and more dangerous prey. Sometimes a Faulkyr will even desire to know more about the outside world, but mostly to bring knowledge back to their leader. When they do so, Faulkyr rarely travel alone. If they left the desert, they will do so in pairs or groups of three. Faulkyr fear that, without others of their own kind with them to remind them of who and what they are, they will lose their identity and be seduced by the ways of civilization and never come home again. Culture When a member of the tribe passes away, they are eaten by the others in a ceremonial wake. In this way, they become part of the tribe again, not just figuratively but literally. Language Faulkyr speak their own language, although smarter individuals sometimes learned bits of other languages. Depending on where they live, Faulkyr might learn the languages of Goblins, Humans, Gnolls, Dwarves and Orcs. Most ordinary Faulkyr are illiterate. Religion Most Faulkyr worship spirits, who focus solely on the survival and propagation of the Faulkyr species. This religion is maintained by clerics who serve as tribal shamans; they bestow the blessings of the spirits on the Faulkyr people whenever required. Although they have no shrines or temples, nor even regular ceremonies, Faulkyr are very proud of their religious traditions and their deities. However, their spirits are oftentimes uncaring and unfeeling, who dismiss even the suffering of their followers, expecting them to take care of themselves. Thanks to their spirits close links to nature, and because Faulkyr are naturally close to the land, ready to take what it gave them, many Faulkyr have no problem shifting to worshiping nature itself. This led to a high number of Faulkyr druids. Homelands Faulkyr generally inhabit deserts and drylands in the temperate and warm regions of Gaia. The majority dwell in deserts in well-hidden lairs, but around a third of the Faulkyr population actually laired in underground caves, those Faulkyr taking on a white complexion. Relations Neighbouring Faulkyr tribes will often ally against formidable enemies, even against other hostile Faulkyr tribes. The relationship of Faulkyr to other races is considered to be mostly that of hunter to prey. Faulkyr of somewhat more civilized nature understand that other races might know something worth learning, and are ready to parley. Faulkyr are most likely to negotiate with other bestial races, seeing humans as weak and beneath them. Nevertheless, Faulkyr consider themselves stronger and thus better than most other races and therefore thought of themselves as "real people". Faulkyr referred to most of the civilized races as "softskins". Faulkyr rarely interact with other races as their dry homelands are home to few other sentient creatures. In places where Faulkyr raiding parties threaten civilization, interracial relations can be particularly bad, In certain southern villages the hunting of lizard folk become a sport. Uses The eggs and skin of Faulkyr are bitter and inedible. The skin of Faulkyr can be fashioned into armor. History The Faulkyr themselves have no written history. Faulkyr themselves believed they are one of the first humanoid races on Gaia. In their story, Faulkyr have dwelled in the deserts since the beginning and that all the civilized races outside have evolved from weak Faulkyr who could not endure their harsh life and left the deserts. Thus, the Faulkyr can look down upon the civilized races as weaklings. Regardless, it is clear that Faulkyr have an unimaginably ancient culture, virtually unchanged over the eons. Category:Sentient Species